The Peculiar Case of Maisie Croft
by clairvoyancy
Summary: 【 alιce тнroυgн тнe looĸιng glaѕѕ ғanғιcтιon 】 Alice went through the looking glass one cold night, and Maisie went in right after her. 【 ѕlιgнт alιce х тarranт, oc х тιмe 】
1. Chapter 1

Tick.

Tock.

My large, hazel eyes watched the hands of the large grandfather clock, carved entirely out of shiny birch wood, as it moved to and fro. It was memorizing, and I was sure I had been staring for nearly ten minutes now. I always seemed to stare at things; thats why people get so angry with me. I don't mean to. Everything interests me now-a-days. I moved back in the wooden chair that pinched at my back, making me groan in discomfort and attempt to settle back down.

She should be back now with Alice. A smile grew on my pale face, brightening my thoughts.

Alice Kingsleigh is my best friend as far as I can remember. We were inseparable during our childhood, pretending to battle strange creatures that hid under our bed or run away from her father when he played the innocent game of tag. Every Christmas, my family an the Kingsleighs would hold a dinner party. There would be laughs, clinks of champagne glasses and the presents- Oh the presents! There were ever so many. As I've grown older, all I really require is money, but it is funny to think back to when you were a child and all you wanted were toys. It's funny how life changes a person.

Time goes by too fast. In one blink of an eye, you are off to your first job inquiry and all you can remember is when you first learned how to tie your shoe properly. I wish it would all slow down; time was horrible towards people.

My thoughts traveled back to Alice, recalling all the fun adventures we had in her backyard. We would exit the warm household around eleven in the afternoon, and pretend that there were people in the yard. Alice had these very vivid visions, and she swore up and down to me that they weren't dreams. They were true, just like reality.

Alice's world was called Wonderland. She spoke of an insane man who created hats, a disappearing cat with a smile wide like a crescent moon, a small rabbit in a waistcoat that was always nervous, an awful woman who wanted to take off peoples heads, and a beautiful, white haired woman.

I wanted to believe Alice, and I did- when I was younger. However, now is different. My mind has been tainted by the adult world, and I've lost my creative behavior. It's unfortunate to say that, but its the truth. Oh, how I long for the days where I could be a child once again.

Tick.

Tock.

My eyes traveled back to the clock, propping my head back up in my slender hand and fiddled with the edge of my dress. I had chosen to wear a soft, creme colored dress where the sleeves slipped off my bare shoulders slightly and the dress itself came down to my calves. It was the height of Victorian fashion for women. I didn't mind wearing dresses, but I wondered what it would be like to wear trousers.

A noise coming from the front of the room snapped me back into reality. I hobbled up onto my feet, brushing down my dress that got hitched up from me sitting on the tough chair behind me. I flashed a smile, prepared to see my best friend's face. I had to admit that I was extremely excited to see her again.

"Alice, I have a surprise for you," Alice's mother spoke and made her way into where I was standing. I first saw her, wearing a black dress and a strange black hat. I tilted my head, but that's when I saw Alice. Her tangled, blonde hair was still the same, but she had grown a foot taller than me. Her face had grown a bit longer too as well, and her eyes seemed more stormy than usual- until she made eye contact with me. Her smile grew widely as Alice stood there in shock.

"M-Maisie? Is that you?" she questioned, eyeing me up and down.

The last time I saw her, I was actually taller than her. My brown hair had been cut short to a bit below my chin, and I still had a face full of freckles. Now, I wore my brown hair long and in ringlets around my round face. My freckles were still prominent, but they weren't as seriously obvious as they had been.

"Who do you think it is?" I answered her with a soft laugh, joking around with my friend. Alice let out a laugh as well, approaching me rather quickly and wrapped me in a tight hug. She smelled like sea spray, which made me gag slightly, but nevertheless I returned the hug.

"I missed you so much!" Alice began and pulled away, holding her hands against my shoulders. "How was Scotland? Oh! You'll have to tell me all about it."

I moved from Oxford into a small town in Scotland called Lerwick. It was the main port of the Shetland Islands, being surrounded by water and all. My father received a work proposition by there, and we had no choice but to move. I didn't admire it as much as I thought I would have, especially since my father's business was right along the water line. We had to deal with awful hurricanes, and rebuild the house twice.

"It was... cold, dreary, disgusting, boring- Need I say more?" I asked her with a smirk. Alice shook her head, giving out another soft laugh that rang like silver bells in a cool breeze.

"That exciting, huh?" Alice commented while her mother moved into the kitchen to boil some water for their afternoon tea. "Are you staying in Oxford for long?"

"Only for a month," I responded and folded my hands in front of my place. I was currently staying with my grandmother Lorraine in the east part of Oxford, but I may spend a few nights over with Alice. "I'll have to go back to preparing fish and such. Gosh, it's awful."

"I know, and I probably don't smell too great either," Alice laughed and then pulled her hands in front of her face. "The adventure was incredible, but I was a bit seasick during the beginning." I remembered; Alice was captain of her father's ship. That made me smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but it must have been exciting! Getting to travel like that... I'm jealous," I remarked.

"If you say- Oh, yes. I have a question for you."

I tilted my head curiously, wondering what she would have to ask me,

"I must go speak with Hamish about my discoveries and further expeditions. He has a party tonight, and I would very much like you to come with me," Alice explained and placed her hands together. "It will only be for a little while, but I must go." I covered my hands over my mouth, letting out a snicker.

"Hamish? Oh my gosh, that weird beaver guy with the ginger hair?" I whispered, trying not to laugh so loud that Alice's mother came in and disapproved of our behavior. Alice even chortled a little to my remark.

"Yes. Him."

"Hmm, I don't know Alice," I teased her, grinning. "If he's there, who knows what will happen." Alice nudged me a bit with her shoulder, obviously trying to get me to answer her proposition. "-But fine. I'll go."

"Excellent!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Alice, is that really necessary?"

Alice walked boldly up the steps, the soft wind carrying her as she did so. Her head was held high whilst the butlers chortled and talked to one another about her unusual attire. She wore a sort of oriental dress, with a swirl of colors that made your eyes hurt and a strange skirt that was actually pants legs. I tilted my head, watching her move with the fabric. She had always been the curious one, but that's why she was my best friend.

Her mother stood beside her, holding her skirt up so she did not trip on the lace below and stumbled to keep up with her fast-paced daughter.

"I think it looks dazzling- breathtaking if I may!" I threw in my two cents after her mother mentioned her concern. "The colors compliment each other in a way that it makes it look like an illusion." Alice smiled down at me, the small bells over her chest jingling slightly.

"Thank you, Maisie," she told me. "I wish I had one to give to you, but the dress looks fashionable on you."

Since the dress I arrived in was a bit musty and wasn't proper for the occasion, Alice's mother dug through her daughter's late room and discovered a few treasures hidden out of plain sight. One of them was a magnificent pink, back-line dress with a beautiful lace underneath the large skirt. The sleeved hooked around my lower arms, giving it a more elegant attraction more than anything. Unfortunately, the only shoes they could find were the ones I was already wearing; black flats that did not match the outfit.

Fortunately, the dress came down low enough to hide the dark color from plain sight.

"It's quite alright," I responded as Alice's mother pushed the main entrance doors open, pouring in a scent of vanilla and heavy pine-scented cologne. I waved my hand in front of my face in attempt to get rid of the smell, but it hung around me like a veil of mist.

"Ghastly, isn't it?" Alice commented after we entered the noisy hall. "I promise we will only be here for a short while." She pulled her hands behind her back, as if she was locating the man she was seeking and then trotted off into a flurry of colorful dresses.

I tried to keep up with my friend, but nevertheless, was pushed back by a few dancing couples. They snarled at me, staring at me down their nose and holding their loved one closer. I flashed them sympathetic smiles and attempted once more to squeeze by.

Oh, what a feeling it would be to be in love with someone.

When I first moved to Lerwick, I was highly attracted to a teacher that worked at the small school down the road from where I lived. I remember watching him from my window everyday, admiring his black hair and cold, blue eyes. Yet, he was still full of personality. Many inhabitants enjoyed Marcus Edwards presence, but I could never talk to him. I was always too nervous.

He recently got engaged to a blonde-haired beauty named Permilda Peterson, whom was a rotten lady indeed. She treated poor Marcus with hatred and fear. I wouldn't be surprised if she forced him to propose.

I blinked out of my thoughts and continued to make my way through the thick crowds. All the gentlemen looked clean in their black tuxedos and assorted flowers tucked into the pockets, while they held a glass of champagne in their white, gloved hand. The women were like a peacock; covered in different colors and each of them unique. I admired every single one of their dresses.

I reached the end of the ballroom after a few moments and rested myself up against the white door frame. I could see, from the distance, Alice talking with a few men around her. Most of them were old, but one I could make out to be Hamish. I covered a hand over my mouth and immediately began to laugh.

The old gent decided to grow a mustache. How horrid. It did not suit him at all. Hamish still had that look on his face; that look of 'I'm-better-than-you' and that weird smirk of his where he looked like a gopher.

Then I noticed Alice's mother walk into the room.

Alice ran out the other door.

I stood there, baffled from what I just saw. What had happened? There was no doubt in my mind that Hamish was being his crude self once again, which made me clench my fists and stomp over to the room they were in.

"Alice, wait!" Alice's mother cried out and followed her beloved daughter out of the study. I folded my arms, watching her leave and then focused my attention on Hamish. One of my dark brows raised when I realized he hadn't even notice I entered the room. Typical.

"I thought I smelled something rotten," I stated coldly while a smirk grew on my face. The ginger jumped, holding his left hand over his heart and gripped onto the fire mantle next to him.

"Do not startle me like that!" Hamish hissed, glancing up at me. His eyes widened and he froze, shaking his head slightly. "Maisie Croft? Is that really you?" I patted myself down, checking my hips and head as if they weren't attached.

"I assume I am, yeah?" I replied with a grin. "I haven't seen you for a while, Hamish." He drew in a breath and then stuck his head in the air, just like how everyone else had been looking at me this whole time.

"You neither," Hamish remarked and attempted to look disinterested.

I remember that day when he and I stopped being friends. I mean- He had always been a rude character to begin with, but I still liked to be around him. We met one December evening, and I do believe Christmas was around the corner actually.

I was in the toy store, gathering the rest of my money in my pockets as I prepared to pay for my brother's Christmas present. I wanted to get him a tiny doll of a monkey, whose black button eyes shined like a crystal in a dark tavern and soft fabric that made you want to rub your face against it.

The toy was a few coins, but I was short about two. Sadly, I told the cashier that I would have to come back for the item, until a ginger haired boy popped up behind me and placed the remaining balance on the counter. As a child, I thought this boy was crazy for helping someone like me. He looked well kept, unlike me where I lived in a dinky home.

I remember thanking him, and the little Hamish responded with,

"I have enough coins. I need to get rid of them somehow."

I smiled in remembrance and stood up straight, giving him the same look. I still despise the man, but I had a little respect for the kindness he showed me that day.

"What did you tell Alice?" I questioned as my arms found themselves around my chest. Hamish thought for a moment, placing one hand on his hip as he tilted his head towards the left.

"I do believe that should be a secret until you ask her," he began with a wicked smile. "But I'll give you a little hint. It has to do with her precious ship." I knew Alice loved her ship due to the fact that it was her father's, but what had this awful man done to make my friend run out like that? I frowned again.

"If you made her cry, you'll regret it," I muttered towards him. The elderly gents behind him let out a laugh, holding their sides while Hamish did that strange chortle of his. I raised my eyebrow, feeling a bit undermined.

"You? Oh, you can't hurt a fly!"

"You'll be surprised what I can do," I hissed in his direction, and then deciding that this conversation was done, exited through the door on the right. I could hear them still laughing at me, but I didn't care. My main concern was Alice.

After a few minutes of walking around, I wanted to give up on searching for her. The household was huge; let alone it had its own indoor garden and nearly five thousand restrooms. I let out a growl of disappointment and propped myself down onto the bench next to me. The cold hit my legs, but I folded them upwards and let my arms hang over the tops of my knees.

What a day this had turned out to be.

I laid my head down on one of my arms, staring up at the midnight sky with twinkling stars. I wondered what it would be like to pass away quietly in your sleep, and then join the many stars above this world. I smiled to myself, thinking about how many new stars I would meet along the way. Maybe I'd see my old terrier, Maggie up there.

I closed my eyes, until I realized that I felt something crawling across my bare skin. I lifted my head and glanced over, ready to flick off whatever had landed on me.

It turned out to be a beautiful butterfly, one that was colored in a strange shade and had large antennas. It blinked its eyes at me; showing centuries of experience in them. I carefully ran my hand towards it, hoping to not startle it.

"How did you get-" I began to ask, however it spread it's beautiful wings and flapped away from my location. I watched it exit the long hallway, and I drew in another sigh. "Not even the butterfly wants to stay with me." I lowered my head again, and then I felt that same sensation on my arm.

It had returned.

As soon as we made eye contact, it fluttered off once again into the darkness and around the corner. This time, I felt like I should follow the strange being. I stood up onto my flats and took large strides after the butterfly. The sensation of adventure grew inside of me, making a smile appear on my face. I felt that something truly amazing will happen if I continue to follow this beautiful creature.

It led me into a business looking room, complete with fluffy arm chairs and a yellow-tinted globe of the world. I shut the brown door behind myself, and my eyes trailed up. I made eye contact with the mirror above the fireplace, feeling instantly drawn to the golden frame that surrounded it.

"Maisie!" a familiar voice echoed from in front of me. I blinked out of my trance and eyed the direction that the sound had come from. Alice stood there, her blonde hair in a messy bun with her eyes wide of excitement. "You are here!"

"Y-Yeah? I am," I answered her, slowly. "I was looking all over for you. What did Hamish tell you?" Alice shook her head wildly, gripping onto my hands and dragged me in front of the mirror.

"It doesn't matter now. Only this does," Alice whispered with a smile. I stared at the mirror, my eyebrows raised. Had she finally gone mad?

"Alice, it's a mi-" I began, until she thrusted her whole arm into the mirror. I expected it to shatter from the force of her strength, but instead her arm went through; like a portal of some kind. "... Is this a joke?"

"No, Maisie," Alice responded and turned to look at me. "Do you remember the stories I used to tell you as a child? About the disappearing cat and the cruel Queen?" I nodded my head in response. "Would you like to meet them?"

"Wait, are you saying that this mirror is a gate to this Wonderland you've been telling me about?" I asked, slightly confused. Was I going mad? What on earth was happening?

"Exactly!" Alice answered, and began to say something else before we heard a loud knocking at the locked door behind us. They sounded angry, banging away at the door and jingling the door handle. My eyes drifted to the door, beads of sweat falling down my forehead. We were in so much trouble; oh mother would have my head for this.

I turned back to Alice, about to suggest that we hop out the window but she already had a plan. She was now standing on the fireplace, half of her body already inside of the mirror. She flashed a small smile at me and held out her pale hand towards me.

"Come with me, Maisie. Let's go home," she half-whispered. I bit my lip, knowing that I would have no other alternative. I trust Alice; I just don't trust this Wonderland. Slowly, my hand sunk into hers and before I could say other-wise, Alice used all of her strength and yanked me through the mirror.


	3. Chapter 3

I squeezed my eyes shut as I walked through the jelly-like substance in front of me. It stuck to my slender frame, until it disappeared behind me and I was standing in a room much like the study Alice and I had exited. I blinked my hazel eyes once; twice for good measure that I wasn't dreaming. My head turned to the left as I looked up at the mirror that transported me to this strange land. There was no evidence of us leaving, nor the room. How strange.

"This way, Maisie!" I heard Alice direct me with her voice, shaking me from my thoughts. My legs took a few long strides before I reached a long rope that hung from the fireplace Alice and I stood on.

Oh yes. We shrunk. I completely forgot to mention that.

We were the size of a small mouse at minimum. I had never felt so belittled in my life, being surrounded by huge furniture and all.

The space was dimly lit by the roaring fire underneath my feet, and a few candles were lit on the wallpaper. Everything seemed to have a homely scent to it, relaxing my soul slightly until I gripped onto the rope and followed Alice down the steep structure. My heart raced slightly when we did so.

The two of us landed on a chessboard. Of course, there were pieces on the surface, but no one was playing with them. I squinted, studying the board and muttered,

"Looks like white is in trouble."

Indeed, before my very eyes the black knight trampled over the white knight, sending it onto the ground where it struggled to get back up again.

Wait- No one was moving the pieces. They were moving on their own. I stood there, terrified as the chess pieces loomed over me. I tried to squeak for Alice to explain what had happened, but that's when I heard a loud crack sound coming from the floor below us.

Alice stood at the edge of the board, holding her hands on her blonde head of hair. From what I could see, she knocked over some sort of egg creature. It moaned and wiggled around on it's broken body. One by one, the chess pieces seemed to ignore that two humans had entered their magical world and went to assist the egg.

"Humpty Dumpty!" I finally realized, nearly slapping my hand over my forehead. How could I be so dense? Alice gave me a small smile, and then brought her legs over the side of the chessboard.

"Correct," Alice commented. "Poor fellow. He's been through so much and now I've made it worse." Before I could assure her that it was an accident, the girl hopped down onto the cobblestoned ground and I followed her. My legs hurt slightly from the fall, but it would be a quick recovery.

"Foolish girl," a voice from above me whispered. It was eerie; like the person was right next to me. I spun on my heels, looking around frantically until my eyes wandered upwards and spotted the same butterfly that led me here. "You weren't supposed to follow the Alice."

"You led me to her," I protested and folded my arms over my slender chest. I was still surprised that a butterfly was speaking with me, but more upset that he spoke down to me like I was a child.

"I did no such thing," he told me, fluttering his gigantic wings beside me. There was a slight powder still attached to the fur, which slipped off and batted into my face. I coughed and brushed it out of my nose. "Your temptation led you, Maisie."

"That's not- Wait, how do you know of my name?" I asked, my bright eyes widening to their fullest as my jaw nearly dropped. The butterfly uttered a chuckle, moving its wings once more.

"All will reveal itself soon," he responded, noting that Alice had joined me finally. Her smile was wide as she looked up at the insect.

"Hello Absolem," she said in a greeting, bowing her head slightly. The creature called Absolem bowed his head respectfully towards the young girl, and then began to make its way towards the end of the room. We both trotted after it to keep up, after we reached a tiny door that we could easily fit through.

"Why am I here, Absolem?" Alice questioned, laying her hand over the golden door knob. Absolem floated a bit in the air, his eyes gazing over to me and back towards Alice.

"Again, all will be revealed," he reminded her. "Ah, and do mind yourself on the way out." Alice, looking more confused than ever looked back at me. I shrugged my shoulders, getting ready to follow her as soon as she opened the door. Her hand pushed it open, and then-

Falling.

All I remember is falling through the clear sky.

Everything happened so quickly, that I don't even remember falling upon the flowers below. I groaned in pain and sat up, rubbing my head slightly. It took a while for my senses to come to, but when they did, I soon found out I was surrounded by animals.

A hound sat nearest to me, with a tiny mouse that held a sword in her tiny hands. Her big eyes were thought to be cute, but now looked fierce the more I stared. There was a beautiful woman bathed in white, two rabbits; one that resembled the bunny Alice told me about and the other looked crazily insane, two funny twin brothers and a cat with a wide smile.

"She's not Alice!" the mouse cried out, swinging her sword at me wildly. "We've been tricked!" The bloodhound let out a growl, baring his clean teeth towards me.

"Absolem's sight must be getting worse than I feared," the white rabbit commented, throwing his paws up in the air dramatically. "What do we do with her?"

"Maybe she can be our friend," one of the bald twins spoke.

"What if she isn't friendly?' the other one retorted back.

"She looks like it!"

"Are you sure? She looks scary."

"W-Wait," I tried to explain, holding my hands up in the air. "I came with Alice. She's here somewhere. We just fell out of the sky, um-" I looked around desperately for Alice, still trying to figure out who the hell these people were. I heard a snap in the tree above me whilst searching, and I glanced up.

"I'm up here!" Alice called down, slowly beginning to climb down off of the large, cherry blossom tree. I flashed a smile of relief. When she managed to get back down onto the ground, Alice went around and greeted every single creature that sat at the table. I stood there, dazed and confused on what was even happening.

So this was Wonderland. It truly was beautiful. I only hope to see more, and hopefully figure out why I am here.

"Oh yes! Let me introduce you to my friend," Alice added and pulled on my hand, sitting me next to her. I gave them all a small smile, still nervous to talk with these people. "This is Maisie Croft, a very good friend of mine."

"Hello Maisie! Sorry to startle you. We were all very befuddled," the white rabbit began. "My name is Nivins McTwisp; at your pleasure." I giggled, adoring his fluffy ears and adorable eyes.

"Oi, I guess I have to apologize too," the tiny mouse murmured. "I'm sorry, Maisie. I'm Mallymkun. Call me Mally, however."

"Lovely to meet you, Mally! I must say, I love your sword," I commented with a soft smile. "It suits you very well." Mally seemed to blush from the compliment, but hid her face and stumbled off.

After the introductions, I learned that the lady sitting with the rest of the animals was the White Queen. I definitely remembered hearing about her from Alice's stories. She described her as kind, loving and very caring towards Wonderland. I couldn't agree more.

From what I understood, Alice's friend, The Mad Hatter was in terrible danger. Apparently, his family had died in a tragic incident that involved a wicked dragon. Hatter still seemed to think they were alive, and would not give up on them. Alice must have said something to upset him, because she came back to us obviously upset.

I wish I could help, but I felt so useless here. Everyone kept talking with Alice, and I felt a bit left out. Still, I was glad that I could be here with her. I was already beginning to love this place the more time I spent.

I followed the group up some old stone stairs. Vines grew around them, constricting them like snakes and bruised the pavement. I couldn't exactly hear what they were talking about, but I caught glimpses of the word, 'chronosphere.'

"You do a lot of thinking," the disappearing cat named Cheshire told me, floating next to me. His tail whirled around his fluffy body and a smile appeared on his face. I stifled a laugh and held my arms around my waist.

"That I do," I responded. "Sometimes I wish I couldn't think. It makes me sad, happy, and angry." The cat purred softly, his tail brushing against my arm as Cheshire shifted in the air.

"I don't understand that about you humans," he murmured. "No muchness. Especially in you. I thought since you were Alice's friend, you'd be more like her." I raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the cat.

"Muchness?" I questioned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You wouldn't understand if I told you," Cheshire remarked with a chuckle. "In time, you will grow to understand the meaning. It took Alice a while, and it may take you as long."

"Okay," I muttered softly, still not understanding what he meant. I suppose I would have to wait until I had further explanation on the subject.

We arrived in a room full of cobwebs, and in the center was a large, grandfather clock- similar to the one in Alice's mothers home. Actually; it was it. I squinted in confusion, until I realized that the White Queen had unchained the clock. Wait, why was it chained to begin with?

"His castle is through here," I heard the lady telling Alice while I came up to their side. "Please hurry Alice. We are counting on you."

"Yeah! If anyone can do it, it's you!" Mally cheered, leaping up with her tiny body. The rest of the creatures seemed to cheer her on, while I stood there in uncertainty.

"Can someone explain what is happening?" I questioned loudly due to the amount of voices in one room. One by one, they died down until everyone stared at me. I gulped slightly, and the White Queen laid a hand over my shoulder.

"Of course, my dear," she told me. "Alice is going Castle of Eternity to use the chronosphere to save Hatter's dear parents." I blinked. What?

"Oh right! Should have known!" I answered back, sarcastically. Alice noted that I was seeming a bit frustrated and pulled me aside.

"There is a man named Time there that owns a sphere that can travel through time, according to my friends. You don't have to come," she told me. "It's going to be dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'd rather come with you," I answered back quickly. I couldn't imagine staying here with them. It's not that I didn't like them; I just felt awkward. "Please. Let me come with you." Alice raised her eyebrow and grinned, blowing out a puff of air.

"Always persistent. Alright, let's go Maisie," she told me and gripped my hand, dragging me in front of the clock. Alice took in a deep breath, looking back towards me. "Ready for an adventure?" I returned the grin, now actually getting excited over something in Wonderland.

"Don't keep me waiting," I responded. Before I could even blink, Alice took us through the clock and into the darkness.

Thoughts bubbled through my mind as we walked through silence for a while. What would Time be like? Would he be like the rest of these people? I hoped not. I at least wanted to make one friend here other than Alice.


	4. Chapter 4

The darkness whisked itself away from us, disappearing among the sky above. There were flashes of soft blue and teal that swirled in the clouds, symbolizing thunder and lightning perhaps. It truly was a beautiful sight to behold. Alice and I continued to walk on the path, until a large castle came into view. It looked like something that had come straight from a story book. The color was dark, and surely showed signs of stressing on a few of the pillars. I could only deduce that it was built a very long time ago.

Heh, time.

Light poured from sections of the castle, illuminating it in this sort of terrifying glow. Although, I hadn't been staring at the building for too long when I realized the large gap in front of me. There was a small walkway- maybe ten feet- in front of us, but it would be too far to jump to. Besides, I couldn't spot an end to the long crevice in front of me. I gulped, feeling a bit worried about this whole thing.

"Alice, what do we do?" I whispered over to her, my hazel eyes never leaving the gap. My greatest fear was heights, so as you can imagine, I felt terrified. She tapped my shoulder lightly to get my attention and pointed a thin finger towards a strange object moving towards us. It looked like a long, flat pole with a pointed edge.

"We'll have to jump onto it," she advised and prepared her leap of faith. I stared at her like she was crazy and shook my head wildly.

"We'll fall through!" I began. "We can find a different way, please. This is impossible." Alice froze in her position. I realized what I said, and prepared for the lecture with my eyes squeezed shut.

"You know my views on that word, Maisie. Nothing is impossible," she told me, her hand laying on my arm and she gripped tightly. "I'll have to teach you about the six impossible things before breakfast trick." I began to apologize, but Alice jerked forward- having jumped from her position and onto the moving platform. I screamed, flinging myself with her and held on with all of my might. My left hand slipped from the hole in the platform that I clung too, so that my body moved backward and now I was staring into the abyss. I nearly cried; thinking I was going to die until-

Alice gripped my hand again and dove for an identical platform under us, except this one wasn't moving as fast as the other. I landed on my feet perfectly, my eyes still wide with fear as I stared Alice down.

"That wasn't so bad!" she commented with a devious smile. I huffed, brushing some of my brown hair that got entangled in front of my face.

"Don't ever do that again," I replied.

"But did you have fun?" Alice asked, tilting her head. I blinked my eyes, realizing that I wasn't so angry at her anymore. My heart raced, but not nervously- excitingly. A smile came to my face as I rubbed my cheek.

"Maybe," I replied quietly. "You know how I feel about-"

The platform under us made a swift turn to the right, creating another loud shriek from me as I fell to the ground, gripping onto the sides for dear life. Alice, however, let out a laugh and held her sides. I glared up at her, slowly moving back up to an upright position.

"Can we please go inside?" I mumbled and stumbled to my feet.

"Yes, alright," Alice responded and moved past me, running at a fast pace towards the entrance of the castle. My eyes were entranced at the beautiful castle in front of me, not realizing how amazing it truly was until you were closer. I shook myself from my thoughts and chased after Alice, wondering how long it would take to reach the front doors.

Inside, the air was cold most likely due to the metallic interior. I shuddered slightly and pulled my arms around my shivering shoulders. I was never one for the cold, but Alice continued to trot through the area and checked out nearly every corner of the castle.

Nothing interesting really happened until I heard a small creak in the right side of the wall next to me. I jumped slightly and eyed the area, hoping to not catch some strange creature that wanted to bite my face off. Fortunately, it wasn't going to bite my face off. Unfortunately, it was a strange creature.

It resembled... an oil can? It had big eyes that stared up at me through its rusty color, and squeaked softly as if it were shy. I reached over to get Alice's attention, but then soon found that she had disappeared once again. I let out an irritated sigh and moved back through the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of her turning the corner.

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

I stopped in my tracks and so did the sound. Very slowly, I craned my head behind me to see what was making that noise. The creature had been following me, letting out more squeaks as it bounced against the hard flooring. I took another step, and so it followed me. What did it want from me?

I knelt down in front of it, wondering if it was like the normal cat or dog that people back home had. I carefully held out my hand to it, seeing if it would respond in anyway. It chirped quietly, backing up slightly when my hand moved, but then nuzzled against it after a while. I couldn't help but smile. It was a cute little thing.

"Can you help me find someone?" I asked the little guy. It tilted its head. "I'm looking for my friend. Have you seen her?" It chirped like it did before and hopped off down the hall, scurrying towards the left corridor. Before I lost my new friend, I darted after it as fast as I could.

We passed several more creatures like him on the way there. They just watched us, and then continued on with whatever they were doing. I wondered how many more were in this castle, and then- I spotted Alice. It was hard to explain how she looked. Perhaps scared? Nervous? She was hiding in the dark created by an overhang, not yet seeing me.

"Found you-" I began to hiss over to her, until the edges of my shoes hit something hard. My friend had came to a sudden halt, and unfortunately, I flung forward, having lost my balance. It all happened in slow motion.

I fell to the ground, smacking myself hard against the firm ground below.

Alice looked at me, horrified.

A man overlooking me with a startled look on his face.

I just laid there for a moment, wanting to cry myself to sleep. The small creature hopped back over to me and nudged me with its nose, beckoning me to stand up. I took in a deep breath, fighting away tears of pain and pushed myself back up.

I came face to face with an odd looking man. His clothes were strange, his face was strange- except for his eyes. His monochrome attire popped out his electric blue eyes, which just stared at me. Suddenly, he reached up and poked my left cheek. I winced in pain. I barely had anytime to realize that my cheek had been bruised when I fell down on my face.

"You are turning purple," he commented in a heavy Austrian accent. I pushed his hand away, taking two steps back away from the man.

"It's not nice to touch people's bruises," I calmly stated, folding my hands over my chest. "It hurt." The man pressed his hands behind his back and continued to watch me.

"I am sorry," he stated. "Are you alright?" I rubbed my cheek again, feeling it begin to swell from the large amount of pain. I hissed at the touch.

"Perfectly peachy," I sarcastically remarked, still wondering why Alice hadn't come out to join our 'wonderful' conversation. I searched my memory, remembering the White Queen talk about Alice's quest- something about Time? "Oh!" It all made sense now. This guy had to be Time himself, right? "You are Time?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow towards him. He seemed to get proud, puffing out his chest slightly and plastered a smile over his face.

"The one and only," Time responded.

"Fantastic," I stated. "A friend of mine needs to ask you something." I eyed the corner where Alice had been standing all this time, and she slowly crept out. Time seemed surprised, raising both of his eyebrows.

"Another girl?" he asked. "How many are you?"

"Only two, sir," Alice replied. "My name is Alice, I have something to ask of you. It's quite important." Time chuckled and spun on his heels, walking away from us as he waved his hand.

"Follow me. We shall speak in the study," he called back to us. Alice followed after him quickly, and after a few seconds of processing the information, I started after her. The little creature hopped after me, chirping along the way cutely.

"So wait, he can actually control time?" I found myself asking as I walked beside Alice. "Or is it just a coincidence?"

"Yes, I am Time," I heard Time respond to my question. My eyes wandered up to the back of his head, and I made a weird face when I realized there were gears in the back of his head. They grinded against each other, ticking slightly.

"Are you a robot?" I asked, actually getting interested in this person. I moved away from Alice and walked beside Time, attempting to keep up with his large strides.

"I suppose I am, with humanoid features," Time responded, glancing down at me. "Why do you ask?" I pointed behind his head, while Alice giggled behind me.

"Your gears are interesting," I bluntly remarked.

"Ah, thank you?" Time replied. I blinked again, letting my hands hang by my side.

"Aren't you going to ask for my name?" I questioned curiously. He stared down at me again, giving me the 'I-don't-really-care' look, in which I just gave him an overly large smile. He grimaced and looked away.

"Fine. What is your idiotic name, purple face?" he inquired, while I made a face at my new nickname.

"It's Maisie," I hissed in response. "It's better than Time." Alice covered her hand over her mouth, obviously laughing at the way I was teasing the man. I shot her a grin.

"If you say so," he muttered in response. After a few more moments, we found ourselves in front of a large clock; larger than the ones I've ever seen before. It ticked normally, but there were a few cracks in the thin glass behind the arms. It seemed very fragile, so I refrained myself from touching it.

"What is this?" Alice asked, stepping forward.

"The grand clock of all time" Time responded, like we should have known this all along. Before we could even blink, Time pulled apart his large coat and exposed a similar clock embedded in his chest. "He is me, and I am him. All that was, and ever shall be." He then suddenly smiled brightly. "I thought of that poem."

"You should be a poet," I stated still having that sarcastic tone in my voice and, folded my arms back over my chest.

"Maisie," Alice began. "Let us not be so rude to Time. He is going to help us." I stuck out my tongue at her.

"I never said I would help you. I'll merrily listen to your demands, and if they are suitable, I might assist," Time stated coldly and walked passed the grand clock, heading through a small door in the wall. Alice followed him inside, and I pushed the door closed. My little friend whined softly, and so I held the door open to him and whispered,

"I'll be back soon." He chirped and I shut the door, feeling bad to leave him out there.

The room resembled the place Alice and I walked into the moment we got in Wonderland. It seemed quaint, but yet not cozy to me. I propped myself against the wall, glancing at all of the object in the room while Alice spoke with Time about saving her friend.

"The chronosphere? You want the chronosphere?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Thank you for your time," Alice stated coldly, taking me by the wrist and led me out of the study. To put it in short, Time would not give us what we needed to go back and save the Hatter's family. I knew that's what would have happened in the long run. I followed behind her, occasionally glancing back at Time. He seemed nice; I didn't want to leave even though he was practically kicking us out of his own home.

A small, robotic butler led us to the hallway that led to the exit, telling us to go back the way we came. There was no way we could run back and 'borrow' the chronosphere, since the robot was practically glued to where he stood.

"This was a waste of time," I muttered, snickering softly at my joke while I walked with Alice back to the entrance. She shook her head; either disappointed with my joke or the fact that Hatter would fall further into his depressing state.

"I don't know what else to do," Alice told me. "That was my last idea."

"Maybe the White Queen has another suggestion? We could go back and ask her," I tried to help Alice, not liking the fact that she was clearly upset. We only made it a quarter down the corridor when there was a loud trumpet that sounded. I heard the butler wheel in reverse, and then go puttering down the opposite corridor, crying to his fellow robots about someone coming.

"What was that all about?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. I gave her a mischievous grin.

"Now is our chance!" I hissed and took off towards the direction of the grand clock. "Come on! We won't give up on your friend just yet!" Alice smiled and raced after me, our shoes clicking against the flooring.

"You are getting your muchness," Alice told me as we hurried down the halls. I recalled Cheshire telling me that before we came here; whatever muchness meant. I looked at her, as if to ask her what she meant. "It means you are seeing things in a different light."

"Oh, okay? Is that good?" I asked as we made a left, nearing the grand clock.

"Very good! The next thing that I want you to do is think of six impossible things," Alice ordered me. "It's a lot harder than you think." Six impossible things, huh? Flying is impossible, breathing underwater is impossible.. That should be easy.

We arrived at the grand clock in a short amount of time. I looked over the railing that surrounded the many gears and mechanisms. It looked dangerous, but I could spot a small sphere hovering in a field of electricity. That must be it.

"Maisie. I have to ask too much of you," Alice told me and laid her hands on my shoulders. "Keep an eye out for Time while I retrieve the chronosphere, and I'll come right back. If he shows up, I want you to run out of the castle. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"But what if something happens to you?" I questioned, feeling very afraid. "I can't go back to your friends and tell them something awful happened to you!" Alice gave me a weak smile and wrapped her thin arms around me, pulling me in a hug.

"I will be fine," she responded. "It would be impossible for something bad to happen to me." And with that, Alice disappeared over the side. I could see her walking on some of the gears, and then leap down onto the platform where the chronosphere hovered. Cautiously, she reached out and snatched it. The grand clock did not like that, beginning to sputter with electricity and groan like a rusty part that needs to be oiled.

I watched in horror as a few of the creatures from before formed a gigantic monster, roaring in anger and it's eyes were on Alice. I took in a deep breath, my hands clenched on the railing.

"Run, Alice!" I yelled towards her. Taking my advice, Alice ran for her life and disappeared down a small ladder. There was no way I could keep up with her, nor could I see what was happening to her. My eyes glanced upwards until I caught sight of a balcony. Maybe I could see from there. I spun on my heels and raced in the direction of the stairs.

When I got there, the only two people I saw were Time himself, and a short lady with red hair. Strangely, her head was large; larger than ten watermelons put together. I stared in awe, searching my memory for who this could have been. Maybe the Red Queen? I hoped not. I remembered Alice telling me she wanted to chop off people's heads.

"You let Alice get a hold of the chronosphere!" the Red Queen screamed at the top of her lungs, clenching her fists tightly. Time shivered in fear whilst she smacked him across his cheek. "You idiot!"

"Hey! Hitting is not very nice!" I shouted before I could keep my big mouth shut. Her eyes instantly snapped over to mine, her chest heaving wildly. I bit my lip and wondered if I should run while I can.

"Who the devil are you?!" the Red Queen demanded, taking a few steps towards me. I gulped back my fear and stood up taller, hoping to intimidate her a little.

"Maisie Croft," I stated boldly. "And you must be the Red Queen." Her thin eyebrows twitched slightly.

"You are not from here," she began and took another step. "Who did you come with? Alice? Are you a friend of hers?"

"She's my friend, yes," I responded and folded my arms over my chest. The Red Queen boiled with rage, clenching her fists once again. A few seconds passed by of her just staring me down, until she took deep breaths and her rage disappeared.

"How lovely," the Red Queen responded in a calm voice. It was drenched with sweetness, and I despised it. "Another Alice." She spun back on her heels towards Time and instantly snapped back to her angry self. "And you- I want you to find Alice and bring her to me."

And that was it. She trotted off and disappeared from sight. I held my breath for too long, and sharply let it out. What a scary woman. I was surprised that she hadn't threatened me further, but that could be coming any moment now.

"Where did she go?" Time interrogated me, walking up to my side. "You are her friend. You should know." I casually shrugged my shoulders. To be honest, I had no idea where she had gone. All I know was that she went back to save Hatter's family.

"I think she told me she wanted to go back and- Oh wait! It's none of your business," I told him and smirked up at him. His eye twitched, and within an instant, I found myself yanked up against the wall. Time's arm pinned me up, and the look on his face was terrifying; the kind of look a mother would give when scolding her child.

"You will tell me now, and I can promise Alice will not be harmed," he hissed angrily. I blinked my hazel eyes. I didn't want Alice to be hurt, but I knew this guy couldn't hurt a fly even if he wanted to. It was obvious that the Red Queen had manipulated him with fear.

"It is none of your business," I declared once again, my voice dropping to monotone as I pronounced each word clearly and slowly. Time paused for a moment, and finally, let me lose and stomped back towards the balcony. I watched him, and then tilted my head. "Why did you let her hit you?"

"Because I love her," he answered almost immediately. I let out a snicker, holding my hand over my mouth. I realized how serious this situation was, but that was nonsense. The Red Queen had no use for him.

"I don't think she loves you," I responded. "Sorry, it's the truth. No one should hit another person, let alone the person you love." Time seemed really offended by this and turned sharply towards me, frowning.

"What do you know about love?" Time questioned. My heart sunk, recollecting the memories of Marcus once again. I would do anything for him, yet he did not return the favor. Instead, he was in love with an abusive woman- so this situation reminded me of Time's relationship. I merely tried to smile, even though deep down inside, my heart was breaking.

"Love is the way a cookie crumbles in milk, the way music notes create the sweetest tune, the way the sun sets with beautiful colors, and the way a man looks at his beloved wife," I continued, staring down at my shoes. "You should just look at your loved one and tell them how you feel without any concern for what they think of you because you know they will always love you. You could make a mistake and beg for forgiveness, but they hold you tight and whisper how much they love you." I brushed my hair back against the crook of my small ears. "They understand you..." I then looked back up at Time.

"I've seen it happen before. The man that I fell in love with disregarded me, and now he is trapped by death itself. She hurts him so badly, but he loves her too much to let her go. Please, don't let her control you any further. Stop it before its too late."

Time stared at me with wide eyes, frozen in his place. I blinked and looked back down, wondering if I had said too much.

"I'm sorry-"

"Do not be."

I looked back up at him. He was smiling at me, and his blue eyes seemed to well up with sadness. I felt awful for telling him how his loved one truly felt, but he had to know. Time took several steps in my direction, while saying,

"Thank you for making me see the light. It now makes sense why she wants the chronosphere so badly; she was using me for it. She never loved me."

Time looked over to right at something, looking like he had an idea of some sort. He grinned brightly and then held out a hand to me.

"Come with me. Let's find Alice together."

"How do we get there?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"I have another method of travelling," Time answered, gesturing down the hall. "It's down there."

I stared at his gloved hand, biting my lip tightly. I wanted to trust him, but could I really? I mean, Alice and I did have a plan to steal what was rightfully his. Time was probably really mad at me, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn't.

A smile came to my face as a giggle erupted in my chest. I could sense adventure, and I loved it. I snatched both of his hands and tore off down the hallway. Time gasped in surprise, nearly tripping over himself.

"Come on, then! We don't have much time left," I commented and looked back, winking at him.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure this is safe?" I shouted over the roar of the waves, and occasionally cracks of electricity that boiled over the surface of the tiny cart we rode in. Well, it was hard to describe exactly what we were riding in. It was sort of like one of those paddle boats you would find in the lake for couples to use, but of course, this was way faster. I gripped onto the sides, hoping to not fall face first into the ocean below.

"Oh don't be silly!" Time yelled back, turning the entire floating boat around and heading an entirely different direction. "We will be fine!"

Time had took me into the ocean of time, so to speak. The entire place had a dark aura about it, with thunderclouds above us just like back at his castle. The ocean's waves rose up occasionally, dampening my leg slightly which made me jump. I despised water; only rain did I truly admire. My mother called me a cat at most times, because I rarely stayed in the bath only enough to bathe myself.

I fumbled back into my seat, glancing around all directions. I wondered where Alice could have ran off too- And that's when I saw something move in the water. I squinted at it slightly, hoping for it to clear itself. Suddenly, a flash of blue appeared on the wave and a gigantic dragon appeared. I jumped in my seat, clinging onto Time's arm in the process.

"What on earth is that?" I asked quickly, a smile slowly coming to myself. Now that the dragon had come into view, it was kind of cute. I leaned back down and watched it float away back into the water.

"That is a part of Underland's past," Time explained rapidly, as if he saw something and spun the boat around. "You'll see more of those as we go on." I waved to the dragon slightly, but only because the child in me wanted to. I wish I had a pet dragon; that would be excellent. I sat back in my seat and returned my gaze to the front. Something moved, in which I blinked to make sure I wasn't seeing things. It was Alice, riding the chronosphere towards the dragon. She didn't see us.

"There she is!" I called out, pointing towards her. Time was already aware she had arrived, hence why he was hurdling us towards her.

Boom!

We knocked her straight out of the past where the dragon had been. She went flying out of control, but soon gained it back and drove off quickly.

"That must be the past with the Hatter's family," I muttered.

"I know it is," Time stated. "I figured it out a bit ago why Alice wanted my chronosphere." I gave him a look.

"Then why did you ask me in the first place?" I threw back at him, pouting slightly. He let out a chuckle, still on Alice's tail.

"Because I enjoy hearing your sarcasm," he responded. I shuddered slightly at that uncomfortable feeling again and wondered if I would survive if I threw myself out into the ocean. I decided against it and settled back into the seat.

After a few moments of yelling at Time to avoid the gigantic wave in our path, we noted that Alice had flown into a memory with a beautiful blue sky and green pastures. A small town was embedded in the center, with smiling faces and beautiful music soaring through the air. Before we found Alice, I wanted to at least enjoy the area around the memory.

Time placed the 'time machine' into a small flower bed, in which I nearly cried over because they were so beautiful and he had crushed them. I pouted for a bit while we walked towards the town, but seeing multi-colored butterflies made me smile. I let out a soft giggle as a silky white one sat in my brown hair, flapping its wings delicately.

"Why are you always so cheerful?" Time asked, noticing that I had the goofiest smile upon my face and a butterfly in my hair.

"Because it's nice to smile every now and then," I told him and gently placed the butterfly onto my index finger. Luckily, it stayed and continued to wave its wings. "She's pretty, isn't she?"

"I suppose so. It's only a bug," Time answered, coldly. I frowned and placed the butterfly on the tip of his outfit. He made a face and attempted to inch away from it.

"She's not a bug. She's magnificent!" I corrected him. Time brushed the butterfly with his hand, which prompted it to spread its wings and flutter into the warm breeze. "Hmph. You are no fun."

"I don't think I've ever had fun," Time added. "My work takes too much of my time-" I snickered loudly, biting my lip in attempt to be quiet. "-And I've forgotten what it's like." I let out a gasp, completely forgetting about his awful joke and leaped in front of you.

"No fun?" I dramatically began. "Emergency! Call the fun experts!" I spun around on my heels, pretending like I was adjusting a tie and yanked my hair into a ponytail. I turned back around and cleared my throat, looking as professional as I could. "Now, Mr. Time. I am Miss Croft. I shall show you how to have fun, for one time use only! No refunds, no nothing!" Time laughed softly.

"You are very cute," he commented. Those words stuck to me like glue, but I simply ignored them.

"Now then. You are too grey, too depressing," I continued. I knocked off his god awful hat, while Time let out a gasp and grabbed it before it hit the ground. "Better, but not quite better." I looked around the area, looking for something that would brighten him up. I spotted some pretty lilies and tucked them into his outfit wherever I could find room. "Aaand.. Perfect! You look like a walking flower!" Time shook his head, dusting off the flowers from his body.

"Ah, no. I will take off the hat. No flowers," he stated. I pouted slightly, but agreed.

"Fine. No flowers," I echoed with a smile. "You look better without that weird brick on your head, though." Time gave me a warning look, which I disregarded since I realized we were already coming up to the town.

Everything was bright and colorful, which sparkled in my hazel eyes. Children ran through our legs, giggling and playing tag with one another while their mothers placed their freshly baked pies on the window sills. There were some stands with merchandise on them, and the vendors were selling them for a cheap price. Unfortunately, I had no money so I would only window shop today.

"Do you see anything worth having?" Time asked me after a few minutes of browsing the items. I didn't really spot much that I wanted, when I spotted the most precious thing I had ever seen in my life. It was a beautiful necklace, one with a gold band and spotted with light emeralds around the front. I pressed my hands against my face, instantly falling in love.

"Oh gosh," I murmured. "The necklace.. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

"I actually have," Time answered. I continued to stare at the necklace, still admiring the artwork put into creating the beautiful swirls on the gems- And then the seller picked it up with his hands and removed it from the display box. I instantly frowned, but hoped that it would go to a good home. "Um, here."

I looked up to see Time holding the necklace in one hand and placing a few coins in the vendors hand.

"It's yours," Time added and shoved it into my hands. I gasped, my face heated and I wrapped my fingers around the amazing creation. I was amazed that he would spend so much on me, but why?

"Oh you didn't have to!" I began, feeling a bit embarrassed. Time chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"But I did," he answered. "I think it would look- um, pretty on you." I blinked and looked back down at the necklace. Maybe Time wasn't all that bad. I grinned brightly and in a flash, wrapped my arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you!" I chirped happily. I could hear the clock in his chest tick a bit faster when I did so, but Time returned the hug.

"You're welcome, Maisie."


	7. Chapter 7

After hours of searching for my blonde haired friend, we came across no clues where she could have been hiding. I was so concerned for Alice, hoping she hadn't done anything rash or idiotic. I couldn't help but shake slightly in fear; what if she was stuck somewhere? What if she got caught by someone she wasn't supposed to? Paranoia rose in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Are you alright?"

I didn't even bother to glance over at Time, who was watching my every reaction to this world. Holding my head down, I shook my head slightly. I appreciate his concern, but as of right now, I was certainly not okay.

"I'm so worried," I answered. The happy behavior that I had a few hours ago had disappeared and replaced itself with this odd instinct that always popped up when I had a bad hunch about someone. "I'm frightfully scared for Alice."

"She will be okay," Time attempted to assure me. "If she is the Alice Underland speaks about, she will most likely succeed in her quest." I bit my lip, searching a new feeling that rose in my body. Rage, was it not? I clenched my fists together. Why was he so calm about this? Why was everything so calm? Why did Alice have to run off like that and leave me here? She always did- leaving on her ship and never returning until years later.

"Don't."

I gave Time a questioning look. He lightly placed a hand over my right shoulder and gave me a soft shake, as if he was trying to take away these negative thoughts in my head.

"Don't sink down to Iracebeth's level," he continued. "I thought you were better than her." I took in a deep breath, letting the anger sink away and closed my hazel eyes. He was right. I was better than her. I shouldn't let this bother me. Alice loved me as a friend, and if she could have her way, she would have let me come with her on the chronosphere. I smiled lightly and looked up at him.

"Thank you," I stated. "But Alice isn't here. We've been walking for hours. Is it possible that she have left already?" Time blinked and looked up towards the blue sky, with a few clouds in the distance.

"I would have felt it if she left," Time muttered in a sad tone. "It affects me when the past is being tampered with." I frowned.

"Does it hurt you?" I questioned, noticing that he was cringing almost every time the clock ticked in his chest. "It does, doesn't it?" Time looked down at me, and sheepishly nodded to answer my question. "We'll have to get it back then! So you don't hurt anymore."

"Thank you for your concern," Time acknowledged with a smile. I could still see pain flicker through his eyes, which made my own heart race. What would happen to us if he died; if the grand clock stopped working? I didn't want to know. All I knew was that I needed to stop my best friend, unfortunately. I know I would seem like the bad guy to Alice, but hopefully she would see to reason.

"You're welcome," I chirped happily, and then trotted back off to the end of town. We had looked in every building, asked a few citizens if they had seen the odd blonde girl, but no one had. The only thing I could think of next was to head back to the 'time machine' and figure out where she could have gone.

"We'll have to go back," I started to say until I heard a wickedly loud crack in Time's chest. Sparks rose from his body, causing him to yelp out in pain and hold onto the clock. I watched in horror as he slipped and fell to the ground, leaning up against one of the homes. "What happened? Are you okay?" He groaned and yanked open his shirt, exposing the clock. The frail glass around the hands of the clock now had holes in them, and the hands were even starting to slow down.

"S-She left," Time managed to speak out, closing his jacket back up. "Unfortunately, we missed her." I looked towards the sky, noticing that it had darkened a bit. How foolish of me. Instead of looking at the necklace, I should have gone straight to work and found her. I blamed myself for this, and now Time was hurt.

"Can you walk?" I asked him, turning my gaze towards him. Time nodded his head and slowly stood up on his legs. He wavered a bit, causing me to grip onto his arm. "Are you sure? Do you need to rest?"

"No. I will be fine," Time replied rather harshly. "Please do not worry about me." I laughed quietly.

"I will because you are hurt," I reminded him, wrapping an arm over his back to keep him propped up. "Come on, we'll get you back to the machine and we can think of another way to catch up to Alice."

Minutes ticked by, and Time felt slightly better than before. He was walking on his own, but still fell quiet. I didn't know if it would bother him if I broke the silence, so I turned my head away from him and looked around at the gorgeous scenery. The white light of the sun cast down onto the dewy trees, creating a few flashes of a rainbow down on the dusty path below. The grass was long, having not been cut in its life, and a few ladybugs crawled out of the blades to greet us. I waved at them, and then noticed the flowers. There were many; roses, lilies, poppies, lilacs, and pretty much any other flower you could think of! I almost wanted to run out and pick some for my mother when I returned, but decided against it. They probably would have died when I came back.

We reached the machine, but I had noticed something that I didn't spot before. There was a long table, with a few chairs surrounding it and three characters seated at it. Tea pots and tea cups dotted on the table, all in different shapes and colors. I hadn't been to a tea party in forever, but this was a bit ridiculous. Unfortunately, one of them spotted us and let out a loud whoop of delight.

"Guests!" it cried. I recognized that voice, as it was present when I first landed in Wonderland. Disregarding Time's orders to 'come-back-and-stay-by-the-machine', I hopped towards them. It was the crazed rabbit, the March Hare I believe that greeted us. I could also see Mally's tiny structure at the end of the table, and a man with a top hat. He grinned at me, his face pale and had the oddest color around his eyes.

"Who might you be?" he asked me, standing up from the table. I blinked; it was the Mad Hatter. It had to be. No one else would match his description.

"I'm Maisie!" I commented with a smile and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him and gave him a large hug. If only he knew what he would go through in the future; poor fellow. He stared down at me, wiggling a bit to get away from my grasp.

"Have you come to join us for tea, Maisie?" The Hatter inquired, finally getting me to let go of him. His eyes shifted from me before I could answer, looking behind me as something approached me. "Oh? You brought a friend too!"

"Oh yes! This is Time!" I recalled and spun around, presenting the now grumpy man. He folded his arms over his chest and shook his head slightly at me. I grinned wildly.

"Come, sit!" Hatter said and pointed to a few open seats. I took one next to Mally, while Time sat next to the Hatter. Time's eyes never left mine; he was obviously very angry at me. I stuck out my tongue at him, while Mally struggled to get me a tea cup.

"Do you like sugar?" Mally questioned me.

"Of course she does!" The March Hare exclaimed, throwing several sugar cubes in my direction. Gasping, I ducked as they landed on the grass behind me.

"Nice shot!" I complimented while the Hare continued to laugh to himself.

"Now Time, are you actually time itself or did your mother have a hard time naming you so she went with that name because you will take up most of her time?" the Hatter questioned, snickering at his joke. Oh God, here we go. I held my hand over my mouth.

"I am actually time," Time responded with a dull tone. "Now, have you seen a girl? She has blonde hair and answers to the name Alice?" The Hatter glanced over at Mally during this question, in which I could spot Mally wink at him. He grinned towards her and returned his gaze towards Time.

"Yes! We are waiting for her to return!" Hatter responded. "Oh, won't you wait with us? She won't be too long." Time heaved a heavy sigh and sat back in his seat, acknowledging that this was our only lead on my missing friend.

Several bad time jokes later, it seemed that the three had been playing us. Alice wasn't returning, and Time had lost his cool. I didn't really pay attention to what he was shouting at Hatter, but more on Mally. She and I had been talking about Alice, and I was telling her stories of what things she would tell me as a child. She really enjoyed them, and since I had been kind to her, she was telling me the location of Alice.

"Alice spoke to Hatter about going back to his family before something awful happened to them," Mally began. "I was very scared that Hatter let his anger blind him from the truth, so I went to investigate. I heard Alice say something about going back to the cold day where Iracebeth harmed her head against a clock, and that is why her head is so large." Perfect.

"Thank you ever so kindly Mally," I replied over Time. "I will remember you always." She gave me a slight smile.

"Now get out of here," Mally ordered. I hopped up from my seat and waltzed over to Time, tugging on his sleeve. He turned sharply, and immediately went from his monologue about saying, "Tea time was forever" to Hatter onto-

"And you. If you hadn't dragged me here, we wouldn't be here!" I blinked, feeling like a dart had entered my heart and punctured it. I stared up at him, my hazel eyes welling up with tears that I rather not shed in front of these people. Time knew he did something wrong, for he apologized profusely to me, but I simply ignored him.

"Let's just go," I mumbled and spun on my heels, walking towards the machine. I took my seat rather quickly, ignoring Time when he got into his own and flew off into the sky. My hair whirled around my face, dabbing at the tears that were now falling from my face. Why couldn't I do anything right? No one was ever happy with me; not even my own parents.

 _Why doesn't anyone love me?_


	8. Chapter 8

The icy cold air nipped at my bare shoulders, making me shudder intensely and huddle my arms close around them. I was still in that party dress Alice let me borrow, and it was not helping keep me warm during this past event. The ground was caked in white, snow still falling from the grey sky. I could spot some areas in which the children have made snow angels, and even some strange looking snowmen. One of them had a long carrot nose, with a leaf still attached to it.

I trudged through the snow, cringing whenever the snow slipped into my black flats and nearly froze my heels. Oh, how I longed for a warm fluffy coat. I normally enjoyed this type of weather, but not when I wasn't properly dressed. Anyway, I still wasn't talking with Time, nor has he tried to make any conversation with me. I know he probably didn't mean to be harsh towards me, but it really did hurt my feelings especially after I gained important information on where Alice was.

I walked closer to the town's edge, recognizing a few of the buildings from earlier today. They didn't seem so bright today, most likely due to this weather. Inside, I could spot roaring fires and families smiling at one another. It made me sad; I missed my family. I wish they were here with me.

"I'm going to check the west part of town," Time stated and instantly made his way in that direction. I watched him leave, glaring heavily in his direction. Yeah, I won't miss you. I continued to walk through the bustling town, heading towards- from what it looked like- the town square. There was a large statue in the center of a man, surrounded by red flowers that were coated with white powder. I stared up at it for a while, admiring the effort and time put into creating it.

I then wondered to myself about if I found Alice first. Should I just leave Time here or should I let him know? I didn't want him to think anything had happened to me, but I also didn't want to deal with his behavior. I drew in a sigh, wiping my eyelashes that harbored a few snowflakes. I guess it would be something I had to think about.

Or not.

I saw Alice, dodging her way through the crowd as she drove a path towards the large cathedral type building which I assumed was where the princesses lived. I smiled and went after her, calling her name. Alice stopped in her tracks, craning her head towards the noise and returned the smile just as wide.

"Maisie!" she greeted and pulled me into a hug. "Thank goodness you are alright." I smiled and hugged her back, glad to have my friend.

"I missed you!" I commented and pulled her away. "What have you been doing? Time and I have been looking everywhere for you." She slightly frowned and tucked the chronosphere in her hand into her pocket.

"Is he angry with me?" Alice questioned.

"I'm more mad at him," I stated and continued to walk towards the castle. "He just snapped at me not too long ago while I was trying to help. It hurt my feelings, but anyway- He walked off somewhere so I can't be bothered."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "But I have to save Hatter. He is my dearest friend." I smiled and placed my hand over her shoulder.

"I know," I responded. "Now tell me how I can help." Alice thought for a moment, opening the double doors in front of us and let me go inside first. The air was toasty, and smelled of vanilla. I smiled at the warmth, rubbing my shoulders.

"The only thing I can think of is for you to wait here," Alice whispered, hoping to not get the attention of the guards. "Or at least somewhere in this area. When the clock strikes six, Iracabeth will run out of her home and hit her head on the clock outside. I believe if I stop her, Hatter will be saved."

"How do I let you know if she is coming?" I whispered back.

"Say hopscotch," Alice called out to me after she placed herself outside. I shrugged my shoulders and propped my back up against the wall, enjoying the warm air that seeped through my body.

Suddenly, I worried about Time. It was like a pit in my stomach that I couldn't get rid of, and it bothered me. I groaned, irritated that I cared so much about him- Wait, did I really? Why? I furrowed my brows and thought. He was rather different than most of these strange people, and I was growing fond of him. I felt like I wanted to protect him from the Red Queen previously, and really any threat that had come in his way. I wanted him to come find me, and tell me-

I shook my head. No. I can't do this now.

Then, I heard footsteps. Without thinking, I coughed the words, 'hopscotch' while a small girl turned the corner. She had red hair, the front strands tied into the back of her head and her large eyes welled up with tears. The look on her face was rather sad, as she darted outside and into the snow.

I waited a few more minutes, hoping that Alice had done what she needed to do. When I stepped outside, hissing at the sudden cold air, I noted that a huge crowd had gathered around the statue in the center of town. I walked quickly over to them, just as a lady hauled Iracebeth into her arms and back up to the castle. Alice stood in the corner of two shops, holding her breath and shaking her head.

"What happened?" I asked softly and walked over to her location. Alice bit her lip and drew in a breath.

"The past can't be changed. I can only learn from it," Alice reminded herself. I tilted my head as her gaze was caught on something ahead. A warm smile came to her face, and I was just about to turn around when- Alice was pulled into the shop. I gasped and yanked open the door, only to reveal Time standing there. He didn't seem to care that I was present behind him.

"Give me what is mine!" he ordered, holding out his hand. Alice gripped the chronosphere in her tiny hand, backing up into the wall behind her.

"I'm sorry," Alice apologized. "I need it to save Hatter." What happened next made me worry; the world shifted. I could feel the ground start to crumble underneath me (even though it wasn't) and Time cringed again, the sparks appearing. He let out a yelp of pain and held onto his chest. I took this opportunity to run to Alice's side. Nervously, she held my hand in hers.

"You don't know what you are doing," Time hissed in pain, dark circles appearing around his once bright blue eyes. "I'm-"

"You are dying," I finished. Time's eyes flickered to mine, and then back to Alice's.

"Give it to me," he demanded once again. Alice looked towards her right, as if something beckoned her to do so. I followed her glance and noticed the identical mirror from the one in Hamish's estate. I suddenly got her idea; we'd go through and end up in the real world. My heart sank. I didn't want to leave Time, but I wanted to go with Alice.

"Come with me," Alice muttered towards me, her eyes still on the mirror.

"Maisie." My eyes shifted back towards Time. "Don't go. Stay with me."

The stress from this situation rose in my chest. I didn't know what to do! Should I stay, or go? What do I do? What on earth do I do? These ideas, thoughts, plans held in my mind, but my heart sang a different tune. I-I couldn't. I couldn't focus. I did the irrational and-

I ran.

I gripped Alice's hand and dashed towards the mirror.

I leaped through without thinking.

I'm sorry Time.


	9. Chapter 9

Empty words echoed through my mind, tainting my thoughts until I found myself wriggling around against a cold cot. The fabric rubbed against the white dress that was wrapped around me, pinning my body down with its force. I reached my arms up and brushed my bangs out of my eyes, finally being able to blink them open. All I could see was a large, glass ceiling with the familiar grey sky of Oxford. I groaned in pain and attempted to sit up, but I was held down by something. I soon realized that it wasn't the dress that had pinned me down, but straps that wrapped around my body and under the cot.

What happened? I darted my eyes around until they sank into the recognized face of my loving mother. Her black hair was tied up in a loose bun, some fragments falling into her crystal blue eyes that complimented her pale, square face. She had a small hat placed in the center of her head, and wore her casual black dress that I usually saw her in. She sat at my beside, gripping one of my hands when she saw I was awake.

"Mother?" I asked, my head still groggy. "Where am I?" I lifted my head again and peered around. To my right, I noticed Alice tied down in an identical cot. Her mother was looming over to her, speaking to her as well. Then, I heard screams. Screams and pleads to let them go. I began to feel frantic, afraid of the answer.

"The mental asylum," my mother whispered. "They, Hamish and his board, found Alice and you acting rather strange. I had never seen you behave that way, with the exception of the time when you were eight." My eyes widened and I looked into her eyes.

"When I was eight?" I echoed.

"Don't you remember? Alice invited you to have a tea party with her one afternoon, and her father found you both acting strange," she reminded. I didn't remember anything, except a white rabbit. Alice told me to come with her and follow it, and so I did.

"I-" I stammered. "I was there before? I was in Wonderland before?!" I snapped my head towards Alice. "Alice! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought it would have came to you if you remembered yourself," Alice responded quietly, after the door had been opened by a strange looking doctor. He had a wicked grin upon his face, and hair that stood up like he had been electrified. He held a large needle in his hand, also a clipboard. I gripped onto the cot, still amazed that I had been in that world before.

"Do not overwork yourself!" my mother whispered in my direction. "The doctor will help you feel better."

"I don't want to feel better, mom!" I cried out, struggling even more. Despite the fact that I was trying to get free, the doctor stopped by Alice first.

"Ah, Alice Kingsleigh and Maisie Croft. The women living in fantasy," he stated from the clipboard clearly. I did not like the way he talked about us like that. I attempted to break free, but my mother held me down.

"Please Maisie. Do not make this such a big deal," she tried to tell me.

"Mother, you don't understand!" I yelped out. "I need to get back to Wonderland. Time needs me! He's dying!" The doctor stifled a laugh while two burly men grabbed our mothers by their arms and sat down the needle against Alice's clothing.

"Time is not a person; it's a thing," he reminded me. "I'll need to do this procedure without the parents present, thank you." I shook my head; this was unbelievable. Alice was now pinned down by the doctor, but when he went to reach for the needle, he discovered it was missing. Little did he know, I could see Alice grasp it in her hand and dig it into his side. A few seconds ticked by, and the doctor fell unconscious.

"Nicely done!" I complimented. Alice gave me a smile and wiggled out from the tight straps. I did as she did, until the door opened. Alice's mother had returned, and so had the guards. They took one look at us and rushed towards us, but her mother blocked their path and yelled at us to run. We knew what to do and took off down the hall.

"We have to get back to the mirror!" Alice yelled back at me as we raced up the burgundy stairs. "The chronosphere is still there."

"I hope no one has touched it," I began, but then asked, "How come no one else recognized me, Alice? Why did you have to introduce me to everyone in Wonderland?" She yanked open the attic door and ran onto the roof, heading towards a pole with a large rope dangling from it. She quickly brought me to her and tied the rope around me first, helping me down until I reached the lower roof.

"You don't look the same," Alice told me. "I knew they wouldn't recognize you." My heart felt a bit pained that they would notice Alice, but not me. "It's not your fault; you were just really little and you didn't say much."

"I suppose that makes sense," I commented and tossed the rope back up at her. She hurriedly climbed back down and raced to the edge, noticing a carriage with a black horse attached in the front.

"I wanted to tell you, Maisie. I just didn't know how," Alice began. "I'm sorry." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey, I was having fun. No need to apologize," I said with a grin as I held out my hand to her. She grinned and took it, and we jumped. We landed on the top of the carriage, while Alice took the reigns and I sat next to her. Sharply, she whipped them and the horse ran off into the night.

"We must finish what we've started," Alice reminded me. "When we get back, we have to go to the day called Horovendoush. It's when the Jabberwocky attacked the Hightops, and when I could see if they survived."

"That sounds fun," I responded sarcastically. "After that, can we return the chronosphere? I fear Time is going to disappear forever."

"Yes, we can. I would just need it to get back to our previous date, and tell the news to Tarrant," Alice said. I remembered that name; it was Hatter's true name. Tarrant Hightop. "Maisie?" I looked up at her. "Think of the six impossible things."

"Why are you so fixed on me thinking of them?" I questioned. She fell silent for a moment.

"Because you will realize something that you didn't realize before," she answered. "You'll learn something about yourself." Sighing, I folded my arms.

"Fine. One, there is a magical place called Wonderland," I commented, searching my mind for replies to her silly game. I turned my head towards the dense forest, thinking about animals- Ah! "Two, animals can talk like any other human being."

"Those sound like my responses," Alice giggled.

"Three, you can travel through the past, but not change it. Only learn from it," I stated, reminded of when Alice tried to change Iracebeth's fate. "And four, there is a crude queen with a very large head, and a beautiful kind queen with a heart of gold."

"Five, there is a man with crazy eyes that has had way too much tea to drink," I laughed softly, remembering Tarrant and the way he treated us at the tea party. Oh, how much fun that was.

"Lastly?" Alice asked me.

"And six," I began, only thinking of one other person. My heart fluttered as the words echoed in my heart, making my nerves shudder with nervousness. Did I really? Did I really feel that way about him? My mouth hung open, but no words came out until I built my strength. "Six, I am in love with Time himself." Alice slowly turned her head to look at me. Luckily, we had arrived at the palace and we didn't have to worry about running into any trees since the horse had came to a stop.

"Honestly?" she asked. I sheepishly nodded, a red color appearing against my pale cheeks.

"Yes, honestly!" I stated. "He has been rather kind to me, other than that one time. I didn't want to leave him, but I didn't want to leave my best friend either. I didn't know what to do." Alice tapped my shoulder, breaking me from my rant.

"Well, I will have to return you to Wonderland so you can see him again!" Alice cheered and quickly hopped out of her seat. I grinned brightly and raced towards the home with her, my heart beating fast in my chest. I couldn't wait to see him.

Finally, we reached the mirror and quickly slipped back inside. Luckily, we were standing on the firm grass, rather than falling through the sky. Alice took my hands and looked at me; I could tell she had an idea.

"Would you rather come with me, or see Time?" she questioned. I felt myself blush once more, but I softly asked,

"You wouldn't be angry with me if I wanted to see him?"

"Of course not," Alice answered. "Hold on. I have an idea. Wait here!" She raced off without me saying a word. She returned with the White Queen, explaining the situation to her. She gracefully agreed, and smiled to me,

"Close your eyes, and you'll find yourself with him," she told me with her soft tone. I nodded, thanking her and closed my eyes tightly. I couldn't stop my heart from beating rapidly in my chest; I wanted to be with him so badly I could barely wait. I felt something very light touch my bare skin in several places, like a powder being sprinkled over me until-

I opened my eyes and I was standing in a strange room. From what it looked like, a large tumbleweed with branches poking out and thorns on the edges. It was a bedroom, with a bed in the center, a desk and a few other furniture pieces. I blinked my eyes, wondering why I was sent here.

"What is she doing here?!" an angry voice yelled behind me. I jumped, not realizing I was alone. I first noticed Iracebeth, clenching her fists tightly as normal and huffing the air around her. I could tell she was not pleased to see me, and then I looked at Time. He looked so very ill, barely able to support himself. He looked ashamed at me, but happy to see me at the same time.

"I came to see him," I responded boldly. There was another spark in the clock, but one that caused him to smile. Iracebeth noticed that our eyes were never leaving the other, feeding to her jealousy and anger.

"You vile creature," she sneered, and then she paused, thinking to herself. "I do suppose two is better than one. Alice will most certainly come when she has seen that I have kidnapped you, Maisie dear." Iracebeth took a step towards me. "You do remember now, don't you?"

"I remember I've been here before," I responded slowly.

"I know that, you idiot," Iracebeth sighed. "But do you remember truly? How ungrateful you were with your life? How fixated you were on staying with me?" What? "You even called me your mother, since you despised your true parent."

"I-I," I stammered, shocked. I didn't remember this at all. "No! That's impossible. You are rude, angry! I could never." Iracebeth let out a laugh, waving her hand as two guards arrived at her doorstep.

"I'm sure you will remember, after time," she snarled. "Now, take them away! Put little Maisie-Waisie in the cell, and hook tick tock up next to that betrayer." I gasped as one of the guards rushed at me.

"No!" I shouted, moving my body quickly over Time. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, wishing that they would leave us alone and never come back. "Please, I can't leave him!" The guard, not caring obviously, pulled my slender frame away from him and began to pull me towards the door.

"Do not harm her!" Time angrily yelled, the other guard hooking his arms behind his back. I struggled against the strange looking guard, digging my heels into the ground.

"I can't!" I yelped, tears appearing in my eyes. "I-I...!" The words coated my mouth; I couldn't contain them anymore, and so I found myself saying, "I love him!" My eyes widened, realizing what I had done. Oh gosh, that was way too soon.

"Maisie," I could hear Time say down the hall. The other guard turned the corner, so that I could see Time being escorted after me. His blue eyes were full of life once again, and a smile had returned to his face. "I love you too."


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as I was thrown into the strange, vegetable prison, I whirled around and gripped my hands around the yellowish bars that were firm against my pale palms. My eyes automatically laid themselves on Time, watching helplessly as the two larger guards tied him up with a chain. I wish I could've broke free of these bars and saved him, but there was no way I could break these through.

"Any moment now, Alice will arrive with the rest to save that insane Hatter's family," Iracebeth explained while the guards continued to lock Time in place to the uncomfortable seat. "And I'll have many new heads to add to my collection!" She let out a laugh, throwing out her arms as she did so to balance her large head on her shoulders.

"How did you know that?" I asked her, not remembering if I told her that information. She shifted her gaze over to the broken Time, whom looked the opposite way in shame. I couldn't blame him that he told her; she could have hurt him and I didn't want that.

"I do really wish you were on my side," Iracebeth drawled, speaking towards me. "We got along so well, each of us understanding what it meant to be betrayed by our siblings." A pain in my heart appeared, recalling that same feeling from my last visit to Wonderland. I remember sitting with the Red Queen, talking to her about how my sister, Noelle, would steal multiple items that belonged to me, including an expensive ring that my father had given me for my eighth birthday. She was extremely fond of it, and even begged for me to let her borrow it. I declined, but that didn't stop her. Noelle lost the ring when she stole it from me, and I had never forgiven her since.

However, I do love my sister. I understand why she does the things that she does, but I still would have liked to have an apology from her and not an argument. I took in a deep breath and prepared for a verbal fight.

"I'd never make an alliance with someone as horrible as you," I stated coldly, staring into her lifeless eyes. "I'd be an idiot to do such a thing." Iracebeth did not take well to this, for she rammed her hand through the empty space between the bars and hit me straight across the face. Time jolted in his seat, his eyebrows narrowing over his eyes.

"You foolish girl!" Iracebeth hissed and spun on her heels, taking several steps forward as her long dress followed behind her. "You'll see... You all will see what it's like to be unloved!"

"Is that what this is about?" I questioned and moved closer to her in the cage. "You feeling unloved?" Iracebeth did not say a word; only stood there with her eyes towards the sky. "I'm sure that is not true. I know your sister loves you."

"No she doesn't!" she cried out, throwing her hands up in the air. "If she did, she would have apologized to me! She would have begged for forgiveness!" Iracebeth huffed, showing obvious signs of anger. "You don't understand, Maisie. No one does." And with that, she trotted off with one of the fruit-like people following after her. I heaved a sigh and let my head collapse against the front of the bars.

"She's so deep in her feelings that she won't listen to anything but her false realities," I whispered softly. "Poor lady. I hope she sorts it out." Then, I looked up at Time. His eyes were dull, not showing any sign of life or happiness in them like previously. He slouched over, barely ticking in his chest. I bit my lip and moved closer to his seat. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Time slowly leaned his head up to look at me, giving me a pained smile.

"You being present is helping," he responded and sparked again, twitching his head towards the left. "Agh- I hope they arrive soon. I do not know how much more of this I can handle." I wiggled my hand through the cage bars, holding it out towards him.

"I'm so afraid," I whispered, a lump stuck in my throat. I was worried for Alice and her friends, but more afraid for Time. He was holding this place together, and if he left, I don't know what Wonderland would do; I don't know what I would do! Time reached down, attempting to hold my small hand, but only was able to touch our index fingers together.

"Don't be. They are brave souls," Time responded with a smile, still showing pain in his face. I smiled with him, nodding my head slightly. I only wished he was telling the truth.

Less than an hour ticked by, and they had shown up. The guards had taken Alice, Tarrant and the rest of their friends into the cage that I currently was in, except for the White Queen, who struggled to get free from the large guards. Iracabeth stepped into the center, gripping the gold chronosphere in her tiny hands and grinned.

"Finally," she muttered. "I can clear this retched past!"

"Your majesty!" Alice cried out next to me. "Please don't travel back! You can't change the past. I should know, I've tried." Hatter nodded his head quickly, gripping onto the strange looking ant farm that had a hat traced into the sand.

"She's telling the truth!" I threw in my two cents.

"Both of you! Silence!" Iracebeth screeched at the top of her lungs. "When I return, I will have all of your heads. Starting with beloved Maisies!" She then let out a loud laugh, not before gripping her sister's hand and throwing the chronosphere onto the ground.

"Do not let her see herself!" Time managed to say in their direction. The chronosphere sputtered a bit, sending Time into another flurry of pain as the two Queens boarded it and flew off into the dark sky.

Suddenly, the sky switched from day to night, the stars flying by and the moon rising to its fullest until it crashed back to the ground. Time let out a cry of pain, gripping onto the chair for dear life.

"Time!" I cried out, gripping onto the bars tightly. "It's going to be okay, just hold on!"

After the facade happened, the day returned and Time looked even more ill than before. I shook my head, looking up at Alice with tears in my eyes.

"We need to get it back," I begged her. "He's dying. I can't bear to see him like this." Before Alice could respond, we heard a click at the lock that hooked itself in front of the cell door. One of Iracebeth's subjects opened it slowly, pointing towards her nose.

"She ate my schnozzle!" she explained, allowing us to exit the prison. I ran directly over to Time, holding his hands in my own. His clock seemed to spark a bit when I did so, but a smile ran itself across his pale face.

"Get Time back to his castle," Alice began to order while I commenced with untying him. "Hatter and I will stop the Red Queen from further destruction." It took a while for Time to properly stand, and I had to hook my arms around his side to keep him steady. The rest of Alice's friends assisted me in helping him back to his castle, whilst my best friend rode off with Tarrant to save the day. I wish Alice the best of luck. I knew she could do it.

It took us forever to reach the castle, due to me being the only strong one out of the bunch. The round twins assisted by hopping on one another, acting like they had formed an average sized human. When we arrived at Time's castle, he requested that he was placed near the chronosphere podium. I carefully propped his back up against the wedge as Time groaned, sparks flying from his neck this time. I gripped his hand, concern flashing through my hazel eyes.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured. "I wish it was me instead of you." Time carefully moved his head so that he was now looking up at me and smiled, touching his hand to my own weakly.

"Do not say that. I couldn't bear it if you were in this much pain," he sighed. "I would be devastated." I let out a soft laugh.

"Imagine how I feel!" I remarked with a grin. Time tried to laugh at my wittiness, but groaned in pain and clenched his teeth. I quickly dropped the subject and held his hand in my own, afraid to say anything.

"Maisie?" Time asked after a few moments of silence. I turned my gaze towards him, tilting my head slightly. "I want to thank you for all that you've done for me. You could have left me and gone with Alice, having a magnificent trip through the past of Wonderland, but you chose to stay with me." I blushed softly, rubbing it with the back of my palm.

"This was an adventure, though. I had so much fun," I admitted to him.

"Yes, I know," Time continued. "It reminds me of the way a cookie crumbles in the milk, and the way the infamous sun sets at night, when music creates a beautiful tune and the way I look at you." I could feel my heartbeat; remembering this from my speech I gave him earlier. "I can tell you how I feel without feeling afraid or scared of you, and... I've never felt this happy in my life." Damn it, I was crying. I wiped my eyes from the crystal tears racing down my freckled cheeks, dabbing them dry against my dress.

"I-I love you," I whispered, practically throwing myself on top of him as I wrapped my thin arms around him tightly. Oh please, Alice. Please save him. I couldn't lose Time, especially after all of these emotions finally making sense. His arms wrapped around my body, pulling me in tightly.

"I love you too," Time muttered back weakly. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to sob anymore than I should have and-

Crash!

I lifted my head to see Alice racing down the steps with Tarrant not far behind her, swooping down to snatch up the chronosphere. She had made it, but a terrifying substance was following her. It created thorns around the railing, coating everything in brown and green. The past was dying.

[ A/N: wOAH since when did someone start cutting onions in here? ]


	11. Chapter 11

[ A/N: yo. two things;

one, thank you to everyone who read this story. i really appreciate it, like you have no idea. i've been going through so much recently, and this is the only thing i look forward to when i come home. so thank you for supporting me.

second, i got a few comments asking if this will be a continued series prior to when the actual film ended and my answer? only time can tell ;) ]

* * *

Everything around me was dying. Everything I once knew and loved was crumbling apart beneath my very feet. I could see the thorns rise out of the ground behind me, beginning to circle the gears and spared my life for a moment.

"We have to get out of here!" I hopped up, using all of my bitter strength to help Time stand up, but to no avail. He laid there like a slug, barely breathing and wheezing in the cold air. I stared at him, tears falling down my cheeks once again. "You can do it, come on! You have to!"

"No," Time muttered as Alice neared the corner of the chronosphere podium. "They are all out of time. I'm sorry." I could see Tarrant, frozen in the brown substance while using one hand to grasp the ant farm. Even from afar, I spotted the twins, Bayard, Mally and the rest of the crew paralyzed. I shook my head fiercely as the thorns began to pop up behind me.

"I can't lose you!" I cried out. Before I knew it, Time used his arms to yank me away from the rising coat of death and allowed the very tips of his shoes to touch. Slowly, it spread up his legs, heading towards his chest. "No!"

"Maisie!" I heard Alice shout from behind. I whirled around to see her stuck in the same substance, struggling to get free. The chronosphere was still stuck in her hand, and she held it up. "Catch!" I gasped and raced forward, my shoes touching the death that awaited me. I saw the flash of gold hurdling in the air towards me, Alice covered by the roots and I swear- I slammed that damned sphere right back where it came from. I could feel the thorns poking out around my stomach area when I did so, and then there was a spark. A blue spark. It then took the chronosphere back into its proper place, and just like peeling a band aid, the thorns began to fall off from the atmosphere.

We did it. We saved Wonderland.

I drew in a breath, as Alice ran towards me, embracing me roughly and let out a giggle. She was proud of me, and I couldn't have felt happier. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, squeezing my eyes shut.

"You did it, Maisie. You saved us," Alice whispered.

"No. We all saved Wonderland," I responded with a smile, my tears still dripping down my cheeks. "I'm just so glad we are all safe." Alice let me go and held her hands against my shoulders.

"I am too," she smiled. "Now if you will excuse me.." Alice brushed past me, and headed towards Time's direction. I hadn't even noticed that he had gotten up and was now walking away from the situation. I frowned, but allowed them to have their discussion and waltzed over to where Tarrant had been.

I noticed that Iracebeth and her sister were speaking at the very end of the bridge that Tarrant stood on, holding the ant farm against his chest protectively. His eyebrows raised and a smile came onto his face when he noticed me.

"Maisie!" he cheered. "You have returned! Since when did you get here? Oh, I do recall Alice telling me about you coming back and all-" I let him drag on and on, crazily with a smile on my face. Tarrant hadn't seen me in a while, well not since I visited him in the past. He still had that wickedly mad grin on his face, and his huge eyes were full of wonder.

"It's nice to see you too, but didn't you see me when we were locked in that cage together?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Tarrant paused, giving me a look of confusion and then held one finger up.

"Oh yes! Wait, that was you? You looked so different!" Tarrant commented and tilted his head to the side. I laughed softly, and then ceased when I realized that the White Queen was approaching us. She gave me a tender smile, gently touching my freckled cheek.

"Brave Maisie," she began. "Thank you for assisting Alice in her quest. She couldn't have done it without you. Underland will always welcome you with open arms next time you decide to visit us." I curtsied towards her, and smiled graciously.

"Thank you, your majesty," I commented. She gave me another smile, and then looked Tarrant's direction. He nodded towards his extremely tiny family, coughing awkwardly.

"If you could," he added.

"Of course," she replied and had him place his family upon the ground. I took this opportunity to make my way over to Iracebeth, whom stood there silently in the corner. She looked up at me with large puppy eyes, and then glanced back down upon the ground.

"How are you, Iracebeth?" I asked quietly. She grumbled a bit at not being called 'your majesty,' but she had a different aura around her. She seemed to be peaceful at this moment.

"I'm fine," Iracebeth stated coldly. I smiled at her and placed my hands behind my back.

"I really like your hair," I complimented. "It looks pretty on you." Iracebeth narrowed her eyes at me, in which I continued to smile more at her. "I'm being honest. It suits you."

"Why are you being nice to me?" she snarled.

"Because I understand what you go through," I replied, sighing in remembrance of those awful days. "My sister was rotten to me too, but I still love her and you should love yours! Our siblings will always be there for us, no matter what." Iracebeth's hard gaze softened a bit by my words, and she smiled. She actually smiled. "See? You look lovely when you are happy!" Iracebeth let out a laugh, pressing her palms together.

"Thank you Maisie," she started. "Maybe you aren't so bad after all." I gave her a wide smile, and then turned on my heels, noticing that Hatter had been making his way down the staircase towards a shadow. Behind him was his family; probably ten of them at least. They all had the same hair color, and they looked so ecstatic to be with each other again. I couldn't help but smile; how great for Tarrant.

I followed them down the hall, greeting them with a smile and approached Tarrant. Alice stood in front of him, looking rather happy until her gaze shifted towards one of the mirrors on the sides of the pillars. A ripple effect appeared in it, making my heart sink. No. No I can't leave just yet!

"It's time for you two to go, isn't it?" Tarrant asked sadly, his eyes growing large in size. Alice nodded her head just as sad, taking a few steps towards Tarrant.

"I'm afraid so," she whispered. "It's always been so hard for me to say good-bye, especially to you." Her eyes welled up with tears as she stared up at him. "I'll never forget you." Tarrant giggled softly, brushing a lock of her blonde hair away from her face.

"I hope you don't," he responded with a smile. Meanwhile, it was settling into me rather quickly. We were leaving; I'd never see Time again! I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, disappearing from their sight and yelled out for Time. I needed to see him; I needed to tell him how I felt. I couldn't just leave without him knowing.

I came across the hallway that I first met him in, and caught him walking out of the brightest gate. His eyes were full of sadness, as if he knew what was going to happen shortly. I sniffled, wiping my hazel eyes from the coats of tears creating in them.

"There you are," Time said and walked towards me, a smile appearing on his face. "I was afraid you'd go without saying goodbye." I shook my head, biting my lip to prevent myself from sobbing.

"I would never," I whispered under my breath, allowing Time to hold one of my hands in his own. "Why can't I stay with you? I don't like it where I live. Its cold, everyone is rude, and no one is like you!" Time laughed softly, pulling me into a tight hug.

"You are tempting me. I want you to stay, but I know you belong with your family," he told me.

"But I don't want to leave you! Time, I love you. Do you know how hard it's going to be for me to leave and I'll never-"

My sentence was broke after Time had pressed his lips against mine. I stood there with my eyes wide open, and slowly realized what was happening. I would never see him again, so this was my last moment with him and I wanted to remember it forever. I allowed my arms to wrap around his neck, pulling myself deeper into the kiss.

It lasted for a few moments, but it was the happiest moment of my life. Even getting my first kitten didn't match up to this. I unraveled my arms from him and let out a sad sigh, wiping my eyes once again.

"I'll walk with you," Time told me, still holding one of my hands in his own. I gave him a smile and began to make our way down to the mirror. Alice already stood in front of it, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"Are you ready?" she asked me. I bit my lip, turning to face Time. He smiled down at me, his electric blue eyes still shining with the light that I had fallen in love with the moment I saw him.

"Don't forget me," I told him. "Because if you do, I'll kick your butt." Time laughed and ruffled my brown hair up lovingly.

"I will never. You made my life have meaning again, and I will look forward to seeing you again," Time murmured. We shared one last kiss, and I felt something cold move into my hand. It was a silver pocket watch, with a chain attached to it. "Something to remember me by, yeah?" I smiled softly and held it in my hand tightly.

"Thank you," I whispered and then went to take my position next to Alice. We eyed each other, giving each other strength to leave this amazing land. I knew it was hard for her to do it, but I still felt so much pain. Slowly, we took one step inside and disappeared from the magical world.


	12. Chapter 12

_Two Years Later..._

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to bond this man and woman in holy matrimony, and wish them the best as they begin their new lives together," the bald-headed pastor began, holding the large book in front of himself while he spoke out to the hundreds of people that had arrived for my wedding day. My dress was a light pink color, with a disgustingly long veil that wrapped around my curly, amber hair. My mother insisted that I pinned up my frizzy mane for this occasion, but I denied her request. It was her fault I was getting into this mess.

I had just surpassed my 23rd birthday this July, and that was when Gregory McCormick surprised me with his wedding proposal. My whole body screamed no; I couldn't. My heart belonged to Time even after the years of being away from him. Gregory was handsome, no doubt, with sleek blonde hair and dashing green eyes that could captivate anyone (besides me), but he was crude. He was so arrogant, and it made me consider that Hamish was related to this awful man.

My father was losing business, and we were out of money. He didn't want to send me off to marry a lord, but my mother leapt in and arranged for Gregory and I to meet during one of his parties. I despised it. He attitude towards me was sour, yet he showed me off to everyone like I was a trophy.

Tears fell down my freckled cheeks as the pastor continued on with the ceremony. Gregory began to notice and nudged me, asking me to basically "suck it up and be proper." I narrowed my eyes, but sniffled and tried to keep quiet.

Alice was in the audience, and I knew she wasn't the happiest. She told me to run away and never return, but I rebuttled her saying that I wanted to save my parents from debt. I couldn't let them fall into despair. I was so stuck, and I wished that Wonderland could give me a sign to come back.

"Gregory McCormick," the pastor began. "Do you take Maisie Croft to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" My breath hitched and my skin crawled at his answer,

"I guess." What an egotistical idiot. I groaned in irritation, and then the pastor moved onto me,

"Do you, Maisie Croft, take Gregory McCormick to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

No. No. No. I can't. This guy will be the death of me. I wanted to find a solution to this problematic situation, but nothing came forth until-

Tick.

Tock.

My eyes widened at the sound of the grandfather clock that I once heard in Alice's home. I glanced around wildly, searching for the source of the noise. Gregory gave me a warning look, snatching my hand as I turned away from the podium.

"Maisie, what has gotten into you?" he hissed in my direction. My eyes darted around the room, and then I saw it. Directly down the red carpet, under the threshold of the church, was the grandfather clock. It sparkled in the light, like my knight in shining armor. I watched as the door slowly creaked open, beckoning me inside. Wonderland!

"You are an idiot," I told Gregory, pulling my hand away from his. "I do not want to marry you! There is someone else for me, someone who loves me far more than you ever would." Gregory looked embarrassed while the crowd gasped in astonishment.

"Maisie!" my mother yelled and stood up from her seat. "You must marry him. Don't you want to save your family?" I eyed her, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm sorry mother that I'm a disappointment to you," I said. "But Time is waiting for me. I can't keep him wondering when I'll return."

"How many times do I have to tell you that Time is not a he! It's a thing!" my mother screamed in anger. "Someone, catch her! She's insane!" I darted my eyes frantically towards Alice, who quickly nodded towards the clock.

"Give my best to Tarrant," she told me while the crowd began to shift, a few men standing up to attempt to hold me down until the medics would arrive. "Go, Maisie. Run." I gave her a bright smile and raced down the red carpet, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. I was going to see him; I was going to see Time!

I dodged my way around my family members, nearing the welcoming clock. I held my breath as I shoved my frame through the small space, wiggling until my legs could fit through. I saw my mother running at me, screaming some strange words at me that I would not like to repeat, but I just laughed and ran into the darkness of the clock.

One blink, and I found myself in front of the castle of eternity. A bright smile returned to my face and I raced up to the front. Sitting in the front of the double doors was Time. He looked depressed, and that made my heart well up with sadness even more. He had no idea what he was in for.

"Hey!" I shouted, plastering my hands against my hips. Time jumped up, his eyes widening and jaw nearly dropped to the ground. I grinned and took another step towards him. "I thought time waits for no one?" Time choked on his tears, rushing for me and encased me in one of his hugs.

"Maisie, oh my-" he whispered. "Is it really you? How did you get here?"

"Through a clock," I responded with a wide smile and pushed myself away from him, so that I could look at him. His whole face was lit up with happiness, and he couldn't stop smiling. "I'm so glad I'm back. You have no idea what I've went through these past two years."

"No matter," Time murmured and pressed a kiss onto my forehead. "You are back, and that is all that matters."

"Agreed," I said, smiling up at him. "And you'll never get me to leave again." Time chuckled softly, taking my hand in his and paced our way up the stairs towards the double doors.

"I wonder what Underland has in store for you," Time wondered. "There has to be a reason to why you have returned." I shrugged my shoulders, honestly curious myself. I knew that I would find out in a matter of hours, but I just wanted to enjoy the time that I had with my beloved Time. I gave him one of my trademark grins, my heart beating with excitement.

"Only Time will tell."

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[A/N: if you'd like to read more, i have a sequel up for this story! look on my profile for updates and the story c: ]


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